Punch and die mechanism



Feb. 24, 1959 H. E. HOOE PUNCH AND DIE MECHANISM Original Filed June '7. 1954 FIG-5 I INVENTOR. HUNTER 5, H005 47'TOPNEY5 PUNCH AND DIE MECHANISM Hunter E. Hooe, Athens, Ohio, assignor to Royal McBee gorfioration, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Original application June 7, 1954, Serial No. 434,861,

now Patent No. 2,791,133, dated May 7, 1957. Di-

vided and this application December 31, 1956, Serial No. 631,931

2 Claims. (Cl. 164-50) This invention relates to a punch and die mechanism, and is a divisional application of my copending application, Serial No. 434,861, filed June 7, 1954,' and now Patent No. 2,791,133. More particularly, the invention is concerned with a notching punch and die mechanism for use in a card coding machine such as disclosed in my copending application entitled Duplicating Punc Serial No. 396,101, filed December 4, 1953, now Patent No. 2,791,275.

In former notching machines of this type, it was customary to make the notching punches as individual pieces. The individual punches were then assembled in the machine in register with the notching dies in the die plate. The difficulties encountered in mounting a plurality of punches to effect proper registration with their associated die notch are readily apparent.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a novel form of punch and die mechanism for cutting a series of notches in the edges of a record card, wherein the punches and dies are fastened to each other and thus assure perfect registration.

A further object of this invention is to provide a punch and die mechanism, wherein the punches are part of and joined to the same piece of material as the notching dies with which they are associated and thus insure perfect registration.

Various other objects of the instant invention will become apparent from reading the following detail specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a bottom view of a punch and die assembly embodying the principles of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the assembly shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a schematic view on an exaggerated scale illustrating an intermediate step in manufacturing the punch and die assembly shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a top view of the stripper plate, shown as detached from the bottom plate.

Fig. 6 is a top view on an exaggerated scale of a portion of the punch and die assembly.

In the manufacture of a notching punch and die set as contemplated by the instant invention, first a series of slots 11 are formed in a flat rectangular piece of clock spring steel 16, the slots 11 being tapered in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1. The slots 11 separate the material of the plate into a plurality of parallel strips 12 connected only at their ends.

Referring to Fig. 4, the plate 10 is positioned with the upper end thereof, as viewed in Fig. 1, resting on a die 16. The two step punch 15 is actuated so that the main portion 17 thereof punches the ends 14 of the spring fingers 12 free from the body 10, and the step portion 18 of the punch, which is shown on a greatly exaggerated scale, shears a further minute portion 19 from the plate 10 in order to provide proper clearance 2,874,776 Patented Feb. 24, 1959 between the head 14 and the resultant notch 20 formed in the plate 10.

The spring fingers 12 are each bent away from the plane of the plate 10 at the point 21 where they join the main body of the plate 10. The ends 14 of the strips 12, forming the punches of the assembly, are bent out of the plane of the remainder of the strips 12 in the manner indicated at 22a, whereby a shearing action is provided when the-head 14 is forced through the notches 20 formed in the plate 10.

A stripper plate 22 is formed with a large rectangular central opening 29, approximately the same size as the area occupied by the spring fingers 12 on the punch and die plate 10. The stripper plate 22 is fastened to the surface of the plate 10 with the spring fingers 12 extending into the central opening 29 by means of a plurality of rivets 27 located between the bases of the spring fingers 12 and the edge of the plate 10 adjacent thereto. The side edges of the stripper plate 22 are bent outwardly away from the plate 10 in the manner indicated at 23, and the forward edge 30 thereof is similarly bent outwardly, as indicated at 24. The stripper plate is bent outwardly away from the plate 10 adjacent its mid-point, as indicated at 25, and then bent inwardly toward said plate 10, as indicated at 26, whereby the portion of the stripper plate adjacent the notching zone will be parallel to, but spaced from, the plate 10 to provide a clearance between said plates to permit the insertion of a record card therebetween. The forward edge of the plate 10 is bent away from the stripper plate, as indicated at 28, and cooperates with the outwardly bent portion 24 of the stripper plate 22 to pro vide a flared opening to facilitate the insertion of record cards into the notching zone of the assembly, whereby said cards may be notched by the notching heads 14 cooperating with the notching dies 20.

The forward edge 30 of the stripper plate 22 has a plurality of U-shaped notches 31 along the forward side of the central rectangular opening 29, the notches being slightly larger than the U-shaped notches 20 of the plate 10 and are so spaced that when the stripper plate 22 and plate 10 are fastened together, the U-shaped notches 31 and 20 will be in registration with each other.

In the use of the above device, the assembly is fastened into a card notching machine and a record card is inserted into the flared opening between the stripper plate 22 and the punch and die plate 10. Suitable punch actuators depress the appropriate spring fingers 12 cansing the associated notching punches 14 to pass through the notching dies 20 associated therewith and shear a notch in the edge of the record card.

From the foregoing description it may be seen that I have provided a punch and die mechanism which is easy and economical to manufacture, and wherein perfect registration of the individual punches and dies is assured since they are both formed out of, and constitute part of, the same piece of material.

It is further evident that by the use of a stepped punch to separate the punch portions 14 of the spring fingers 12, the step portion of the punch cuts an additional minute portion 19 from the notches 20 thus formed in the plate 10 to provide proper relief clearance between the punches 14 and the notching dies 20.

It is also evident that by bending the head or punching portion 14 of each of the spring fingers 12 out of the plane of the remainder of the finger, a shearing action is provided when the punching heads 14 are passed through the notching dies 20, since the heads 14 will be at an angle thereto.

While I have shown and described a preferred form of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes may be made therein without departing from 3 the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A notching punch and die mechanism comprising a spring steel plate, a plurality of spring fingers formed integral with said plate adjacent one edge thereof and extending toward the opposite edge, the free ends of said fingers being bent slightly out of the plane of said plate, a plurality of notching heads one formed integral with the free end of each of said fingers, said notching heads being bent slightly out of the plane of the remainder of said fingers, and a plurality of substantially U-shaped notches in said plate adjacent said opposite edge thereof and facing said one edge,'said U-shaped notches being adapted to cooperate with said notching heads to shear notches in a card placed therebetween when said notching heads are passed through said U-shaped notches.

2. A notching punch and die mechanism comprising a spring steel plate, a plurality of spring fingers formed integral with said plate adjacent one edge thereof and extending toward the opposite edge, the free ends of said fingers being bent slightly out of the plane of said plate, a plurality of notching heads one formed integral with the free end of each of said fingers, said notching heads being bent slightly out of the plane of the remainder of said fingers, a plurality of substantially U-shaped notches in said plate adjacent said opposite edge thereof and facing said one edge, said U-shapcd notches being adapted to cooperate with said notching heads to shear a notch in a card placed therebetween, a second plate fastened adjacent the side of said first plate toward which said fingers are bent, said second plate having a central rectangular aperture formed there in to accommodate said fingers, and a plurality of U- shaped notches along one edge of said aperture, said notches being slightly larger than and in register with the U-shaped notches in said first plate, said second plate being stepped away from said first plate adjacent its mid-portion to provide clearance between said plates adjacent the U-shaped notches formed therein to permit insertion of a record card.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,336,922 Potter Apr. 13, 1920 2,630,863 Hooe Mar. 10, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 547,660 Great Britain Sept. 4, 1942 w a, Altai-d. *r 4 A Alma-La a as a 

